


Bloodthirsty

by Starstorme



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Death, F/M, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-07-28 15:23:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16244426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starstorme/pseuds/Starstorme
Summary: “Another Vehicon dead due to wounds,” he sent. But it wasn’t true, and after being bitten by that Insecticon, Knock Out knew nothing would ever be the same again. It was all just a mess of pain, chains and energon.Life energon.





	1. Secret

The Decepticon was hunting.

Knock Out crept silently along the hallway. He glanced around a corner, checking for any sign of a high-ranking officer, before turning and swiftly walking down that one too.

There had to be a Vehicon around here. He was close enough to their quarters for a few to be wandering around, but far enough to stay off the radar. Those Vehicons had a bad habit of telling Megatron everything they saw.

Other than that, they made perfect prey. None of them ever bothered investigating the death of another, simply shrugging it off as yet another battle fatality. They were easy to sneak up on, and never caused too much of a racket as they went down.

Knock Out stalked around another corner, his optics searching around before locking onto his prey.

A lone Vehicon, leaning against a wall. It was making a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like sobbing.

He'd put it out of its misery.

Knock Out crept closer, waiting for the right moment to attack.

Three.

Two.

One.

Knock Out seized his chance, lunging towards the Vehicon, which gave a tiny squeal before its mouth was welded shut.

Knock Out didn't hesitate. Using his claws to hold the silenced Vehicon still, he brought out his fangs and bit down into its throat, sucking up the sweet energon inside.

Five minutes later, the Vehicon's optics dimmed and Knock Out retracted his fangs.

He stood up, and slung the dead Vehicon over his shoulder, before opening a comm link to Megatron.

 _Another Vehicon dead due to wounds,_ he sent.

* * *

_-2.5 weeks later-_

Knock Out was hungry.

Hunting Vehicons was usually an easy task. Stalk around until you see one, take the energon, and retreat. Being a vampire, Knock Out only had to refuel on energon every week or so. But this was getting a little too much, even for him.

Two and a half weeks without energon?

Knock Out checked the area around him for any sign of a lone Vehicon. No luck. They were all in their quarters, and Knock Out was certainly not stupid enough to attack the entire army.

So he continued prowling the corridors, hunting.

He was getting tired.

 _Knock Out, come in,_ came a comm call.

 _Yes my lord?_ he replied.

_Come to the brig, a prisoner needs fixing._

_Yes sir,_ replied Knock Out.

It took Knock Out five minutes to get to the brig. Partly because he was dizzy due to a lack of energon, but mostly because he bumped into Breakdown on the way.

"You look dizzy," greeted Breakdown.

Knock Out gulped, trying his best to suppress a sudden urge to bite into his friend's throat.

"I'm fine," he replied shakily, clinging on to Breakdown's arm for support. Upon steadying himself, he mumbled a hurried greeting and continued on his way, only to have Breakdown grab his shoulder.

"What?" he demanded.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the larger mech asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Knock Out nodded, but stopped when it made him wobble.

"I'm okay. Lord Megatron called me, I'm going now."

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked the ever-caring Breakdown.

"No thanks," replied Knock Out, escaping down the corridor before Breakdown could ask any more questions.

The rest of his trip down to the brig was uninterrupted, save walking into a couple of walls.

"About time, too," scowled Megatron as Knock Out entered the room, while the medic focused on one thought.

_I can NOT take Lord Megatron's energon._

"The prisoner's over there," continued Megatron, gesturing towards where Soundwave was standing next to an Autobot, who was wounded, battered, and chained to the floor.

_I can NOT take Lord Megatron or Soundwave's energon._

Knock Out unsteadily walked towards the captive. The Autobot was painted mostly white, with a partly blue chest and a spike on his helm, rather like Starscream's, only white.

Smokescreen.

_I can NOT take Lord Megatron or Soundwave's energon._

Knock Out frowned. His need for energon was getting harder and harder to suppress.

_I can NOT take Lord Megatron or Soundwave's energon._

Not now!

_I CAN NOT TAKE LORD MEGATRON OR SOUNDWAVE'S ENERGON!_

"We are waiting," stated Megatron.

Smokescreen glared at Knock Out.

"Go on," he sassed.

_I CAN NOT TAKE LORD MEGATRON OR SOUND-_

Wait. But Megatron and Soundwave weren't the only ones in this room. And he _had_ told him to go on...

Knock Out lunged forwards and sank his fangs into Smokescreen's throat.

* * *

The shock was evident on Megatron and Smokescreen's faceplates, and Soundwave's (lack of) one. The room was silent in the thirty seconds that Knock Out took to drain the Autobot's energon, except for Knock Out's sucking and Smokescreen's gasping.

Smokescreen's optics offlined, his body falling slack.

Knock Out retracted his fangs and sat up, staring down at the mech he'd just killed.

"Knock Out."

The medic nervously turned to face his master.

"Did it occur to you, that that Autobot could've had some important information to share?" Megatron ask-demanded. He didn't wait for Knock Out to answer before punching him in the face.

The smaller Decepticon screamed as he flew across the room. Megatron advanced towards him, cannon at the ready.

Soundwave stepped in front of Knock Out.

Megatron scowled, as Knock Out shifted a little behind Soundwave.

"You're right, Soundwave," he finally said after half a minute. "Tie him up."

Megatron turned and left the brig.

Soundwave dragged him into another cell and proceeded to tie him up, hanging him from the ceiling and binding his peds in place.

Knock Out looked down at Soundwave.

"Thanks," he gasped. "But why did you save me?"

Soundwave just turned and exited the room, leaving Knock Out hanging, alone.

* * *

_-2 weeks later-_

Knock Out was in a great deal of pain.

He couldn't feel his servos or peds. The chains binding them had seen to that. His processor ached from a lack of energon, and his arms felt like they were about to fall off from supporting his body weight for so long.

He had long since given up trying to free himself. Struggling only made him weaker.

Thud.

Footsteps?

Knock Out raised his helm and gazed down the dark corridor until Megatron came into view, something very loud and wriggly held firmly in his left hand.

"Please, master...don't!" the Vehicon begged.

Megatron ignored it and walked up to Knock Out, unchaining him before throwing the Vehicon to the ground.

"Yours," he scowled.

Knock Out stammered a quick thank-you and hurried towards the helpless Vehicon. He could tell that it had been damaged in battle, but there was no need to dwell on that thought. Knock Out bit into the shrieking Vehicon's throat.

The energon was so sweet, so satisfying...

Megatron swiped his prey away when he'd only taken three draws.

"Come."

Knock Out rose shakily to his peds and followed his leader. Five minutes later, they reached the medbay. Half a squadron of Vehicons were lined up outside. Megatron held on to the bitten Vehicon while the others stared nervously.

"Fix them," commanded Megatron. Knock Out quickly entered the medbay and called the first Vehicon in.

Broken arm. Scratched chest plate. No big bother. Knock Out would usually be able to send this Vehicon out again within twenty minutes.

But today was different. Knock Out's servos were shaking, his eyesight was blurred- where was Breakdown when he needed him the most? Did Breakdown know? He'd be so worried...

Knock Out shook his helm to clear it. Frowning at himself, he hastily patched it up and called the next one in.

This one was far more seriously injured, but not beyond repair. Knock Out was able to fix up most of it before getting a little dizzy again. Hammering a piece of metal in place, he sent this Vehicon on its way.

An hour later, Knock Out finally finished patching up all the troops. Megatron led him back to the brig, where he was once again tied up.

Not before a reward, though.

Megatron gave him one more draw of energon from the Vehicon, before leaving the brig, leaving Knock Out alone once again.

* * *

_-3 weeks later-_

Knock Out coughed harshly, his throat dry after three weeks of energon deprivation. This was torture. He felt as if his spark would soon extinguish. What had he done to deserve this?

Knock Out looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Perhaps Megatron had brought him some energon.

_Please..._

Soundwave walked into the cell and directed whatever the Soundwave version of a stare was at him.

"Where is Breakdown?" asked Knock Out, his voice blurred and scratchy.

"Breakdown does not yet know about your condition," replied Megatron, who had entered behind Soundwave, while the latter just kept Soundwave-staring at him.

"He is on the false belief that you have been sent to Planet X-759, where there is supposed to be a Decepticon camp."

Megatron met Knock Out's pleading optics.

"And no, we do not have any energon for you."

Knock Out whimpered and dropped his helm, offlining his optics as two pairs of footsteps faded away.

So this was it.

They were leaving him to die.

Alone.

"Thought I'd find you here," came a voice.

Knock Out couldn't believe his audio receptors. Slowly, he onlined his optics.

"B-Breakdown?" he managed, lifting his helm just enough to be able to see his partner and friend.

"It's okay, Knock Out. I'm here."

Breakdown cut the chains to Knock Out's peds first, before wrapping an arm around his waist and cutting the upper ropes.

Knock Out lay limp in his arms, almost crying in relief. Breakdown had never felt so warm and comforting as he carried him back to the medbay.

* * *

"Come on, Knock Out."

"No."

"You've got to drink something. You're running on 1% energon."

Knock Out weakly pushed away the offered energon cube with a small whimper.

"Can't."

Breakdown held him closer.

"Why not?"

Knock Out was stuck. How was he to tell Breakdown that he was a vampire?

A minute later, he settled for "Feel sick." It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Perhaps I should scan you?" suggested Breakdown, gesturing towards the cupboard of medical tools.

Knock Out shook his helm. "No...I'm okay."

"Then have some energon."

"But I'll purge!"

"Knock Out, do you want to starve to death?"

The red mech groaned, both in his processor and out loud. If he had to drink this energon to keep his secret, then he would. Better to get it over and done with quickly, though.

Knock Out gulped the liquid down as his partner forced it into his mouth.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Breakdown was treated to the spectacular sight of Knock Out dramatically purging his tanks on the floor.

"Knock Out..."

Knock Out looked up at the mention of his name, only to double over again.

"What?" he choked.

"I'm sorry," Breakdown replied. He stood up and walked over to Knock Out.

"Y-you don't have to be," the red mech gasped. "Not your fault."

Breakdown reached out to place a servo on his friend's shoulder.

Knock Out winced, moving away a little.

"Don't...touch me!"

Breakdown complied, although reluctantly. He really wanted to help, to make Knock Out feel better...but if he didn't want it, he wouldn't go on.

He looked so sick, so helpless...

Breakdown could only watch as his friend sank to his knees, clutching at his tank.

* * *

"Done?"

Knock Out weakly nodded.

Breakdown cast a long look at the medic lying, gasping, on the energon-stained floor.

"Wait here," he whispered, heading over to the medbay wash racks to fill the tub with warm water. Five minutes later, he emerged and crouched down beside Knock Out.

"I've prepared a bath for you. Come on."

Breakdown slid his arms under Knock Out's frame and slowly stood up, lifting the smaller mech in his arms. Knock Out gave a small cry, before biting down on his lip.

Breakdown set him down in the water-filled bathtub.

"Just lie here for a while," he whispered. "The warm water will help."

Knock Out whimpered, settling down against the edge of the tub. Through his blurred vision, he could see Breakdown leave the wash racks holding a mop in one servo. He sighed and sank a little lower into the water, one claw over his abdominal plates, the other by his side.

Knock Out felt strange. He should've gone insane by now, from his thirst for energon. Most vampires would've. Of course, Knock Out wasn't exactly the largest of mechs, but-

Oh frag. He should not have thought about it.

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

Knock Out winced in pain, trying to fight the beast inside him that was threatening to emerge.

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

He could feel consciousness slipping away from him, his mind going with it. No...

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

The medic clung to that thought as if it was a lifeline, and he was drowning in the ocean.

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

_I CAN NOT TAKE BREAKDOWN'S ENERGON!_

Knock Out finally gave way to his inner monster. His senses were suddenly sharp, his vision crystal clear. Energy coursed through his frame, from his spark right out to the furthest extremities. Knock Out leapt out of the bathtub, shaking the droplets of water off him as if he was shrugging off a cloak.

The vampire didn't hesitate; he swiftly stalked out of the wash racks and into the main medbay.

 _I can not take Breakdown's energon,_ a tiny voice whispered in his processor.

Knock Out barely noticed as he continued his advance towards his prey.

Breakdown looked up from his cleaning at the sound of light footsteps.

"Knock Out?" he frowned. "I thought I told you to-"

Knock Out pounced on the larger mech's frame, pinning him to the floor with his claws and his body weight. He sank his fangs into Breakdown's throat, sucking the fresh energon straight from his energon lines.

 _I can NOT take Breakdown's energon,_ the tiny voice kept whispering.

As Knock Out drew more energon from his victim, the voice grew louder. Slowly, his active mind came trickling back to him.

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

Slowly, Knock Out stopped sucking at Breakdown's energon lines.

_I can NOT take Breakdown's energon._

Slowly, he sat up, releasing his prey.

 _GO AWAY!_ he screamed in his processor, banishing the beast from his body. For now, at least. He glanced down at Breakdown as the truth of what had just happened hit him.

Breakdown stared incredulously up at Knock Out. The purplish colour that had taken to the medic's optics vanished, leaving nothing but horror and remorse.

"You're a vampire," Breakdown simply stated, before offlining.

Knock Out stared down at past his servos, at the offline form of Breakdown. How could he have done this? How could he have drunk the life force of his only friend? Knock Out sank to his knees, holding his helm in his claws.

Breakdown...

Knock Out hated himself. Wouldn't it be nice to just leave the Nemesis...

No. He could NOT just run away from his problems. He had to fix this. He was Knock Out. He had the power to do this.

Knock Out picked up his friend (with some difficulty) and set him down on the medberth. After carefully sealing the puncture marks on Breakdown's throat close, he sat down in a chair and began the long wait for Breakdown to wake up.

And although part of him kept saying that it wasn't his fault, Knock Out couldn't resist the tears that streaked down his cheek plates.

* * *

-10 hours later-

Breakdown woke up to find himself on the medberth.

Why was he here? What had happened?

Breakdown onlined his optics, looking around. He could hear the sound of someone crying...

Knock Out. Vampires. The events of the night before suddenly came back to him in a rush of thoughts and emotions.

It was amazing, he thought, how the events of one night could so suddenly tip your world upside down.

Breakdown sat up against the wall, checking a monitor that was attached to his left wrist.

Energon regeneration process complete. Excellent. Breakdown reached down with his other servo and unplugged the monitor, which powered down with a whirr.

The noise made Knock Out look up from his misery.

"Breakdown?" he choked, rebooting his optics.

Breakdown nodded, wrapping an arm around Knock Out's shoulders.

Or at least, tried to.

Knock Out scurried back a few paces, shying away. Turning his helm, he burst into tears again.

Breakdown got off the medberth and approached him. He had just placed a hand on the other mech's shoulders when the latter flinched away, backing away until his back was against the wall.

"Don't come closer... I could hurt you again!" Knock Out sobbed, sliding down to the floor.

Breakdown sighed, crouching down beside his friend.

"It's okay, Knock Out. I don't mind," he soothed.

"I'll hurt you," wailed Knock Out, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"Knock Out, listen." Breakdown grabbed Knock Out's shoulders. "It's. Not. Your. Fault. Got it?"

"You...you really don't mind?" asked the red mech, raising his helm.

Breakdown smiled.

"I really don't. You should've told me earlier, though. We could've figured this out together. Now, I need you to tell me everything that happened."

Knock Out nodded.

"Well," he began. "Remember that day we were looking for energon..."

* * *

_Knock Out frowned, inspecting his energon tracker._

_"Nothing here," he told Breakdown, who was smashing through the rocks to his left._

_"I can't believe this turned out to be an empty mine!" scowled Breakdown._

_Knock Out glanced up at the clear, blue sky._

_"Lord Megatron sure won't be pleased," he remarked. "Call Soundwave for a spacebridge. We're not staying any longer in this weather. It's way too-"_

_Knock Out was knocked out of the way by Breakdown, who had both his hammers and his shoulder-mounted cannon out._

_"Insecticon!"_

_Knock Out looked up, past Breakdown's body, and saw that there was indeed an Insecticon. He transformed his claws into his buzzsaws and moved to stand beside Breakdown._

_"Knock Out," growled Breakdown. "Run!"_

_Knock Out looked up at him. "No! I'll fight with you!"_

_"Go!"_

_But Knock Out was persistent._

_"I won't go. I'm facing this thing with you."_

_Breakdown scowled, muttered something and charged towards the Insecticon, hitting it straight in the face with a hammer, before being tossed against a canyon wall. The Insecticon then spun around to face Knock Out. It roared, charging towards him._

_Knock Out winced as it pinned him to a wall. It opened its mouth, revealing sharp-looking fangs. The creature moved its head closer to his own, gnashing its teeth._

_A deafening roar came from behind the Insecticon as Breakdown attacked the beast once again._

_"Run!" he yelled at Knock Out._

_This time, Knock Out didn't object. He dashed into a nearby cave, crouching down in a corner and transforming his buzzsaws back into his servos._

_He could hear sounds coming from outside. Roaring, stamping, shots going off... It did nothing to boost his confidence that Breakdown would come back in one piece. Or come back at all. Insecticons were known to feed on Cybertronian corpses if they were hungry enough. And judging by the emptiness of this mine..._

_Knock Out shook his helm to eradicate the thought from his processor._

_Tucking his knees close to his chest, he let the tears of worry drip down his facial plates, hoping for the best but expecting the worst._

_"Knock Out!" called a voice. "It's me, Break-"_

_Knock Out ran up to his friend, quick as lightning, and embraced him in a hug._

_"I thought you weren't going to come back!" he wailed. Then, recomposing himself, he asked, "Are you hurt?"_

_Breakdown shook his helm. "I'm just a little scratched up, that's all. You?"_

_Knock Out's claw found its way up to his throat._

_"Breakdown," he gasped shakily. "It-it bit me!"_

* * *

_-Later that day-_

_Knock Out sat on the couch, watching a movie with a cube of energon._

_"I love you," sobbed Maureen, leaning over Benito's dead body. "I won't ever let you go."_

_"Maureen!" cried Rosalie, running over. She gasped. "Is that- could it be..."_

_Knock Out was distracted from his movie when he suddenly leant forwards and purged his tanks on the floor._

_Breakdown, a few metres away, looked up._

_"You okay?" he asked, watching as Knock Out caught his breath._

_"I'm fine," the red mech replied, although he knew otherwise. "It's just that this movie I was watching was a little too much for me."_

_Knock Out switched off the movie, grabbed a mop and started cleaning._

_Satisfied with this answer, Breakdown went back to polishing his hammer. Knock Out often overreacted to movies.  
_

_Knock Out put the mop back into the cupboard, scratching his claw digit on a hook in the process. He licked the spilt energon off his finger, sealing the wound._

_He was surprised when he didn't purge. In fact, he was feeling better..._

_Knock Out almost offlined in horror at the_ _realisation_ _._

_He was a vampire._

* * *

_"_ That's it?" asked Breakdown. "What about the month and a half I believed you were on Planet X-759?"

"I don't want to talk about it," replied Knock Out, cringing at the memory. He sighed and leant against Breakdown.

"Breaky?"

Breakdown snaked an arm around the other's waist.

"Knock Out?"

"Why don't you hate me because I'm a vampire? I sucked your energon and-"

Breakdown smiled.

"I will always love you, Knock Out. No matter what happens."


	2. Transformation

"And how do you recommend we keep a vampire on board?" asked Megatron, glaring at Breakdown.

"Sir...I promise I will prevent him from draining anyone! I'll give him my own energon if I have to!"

Megatron frowned deeper.

"And I believe we need a medic on board the Nemesis. There is no way I will be able to fix alll our damaged troops by myself."

Soundwave moved his helm up at Megatron, clearly in support of Breakdown's arguments.

"Alright," scowled Megatron. "He can stay. But if he puts one digit out of line, you can be assured we will soon have no more vampire. You may go."

Breakdown bowed down, before quickly exiting the command room, a smile on his face.

* * *

Knock Out sat quietly in the corner of the medbay with his knees drawn up to his chest, rocking himself. He was worried, for himself and for Breakdown. Would Megatron let him stay? What if Breakdown wasn't able to persuade the warlord?

Knock Out buried his helm in his claws as tears welled up in his optics.

Breakdown enetered the medbay to find Knock Out quietly sobbing into his servos.

"Hey, KO," he called.

Knock Out lifted his helm at the mention of his nickname.

"You're allowed to stay," grinned Breakdown.

A smile broke over Knock Out's tear-streaked facial plates.

"Really?" he asked, flinging his arms around Breakdown's waist.

"Yep," the larger mech replied, hugging him back.

There was something off about Knock Out's touch. It seemed softer, and a little warm...

"Knock Out, you're burning up!" he gasped in horror.

* * *

"I know," the red mech quietly replied, resting most of his body weight on his friend.

"How long has this been happening?" demanded Breakdown.

"Since this morning," Knock Out answered.

Breakdown frowned, making a move to carry Knock Out to the medberth, but the latter shook him off.

"I'm fine," he murmured, taking a slightly shaky step. "I can get there by myself."

"You sure?" asked Breakdown skeptically.

Knock Out nodded and continued towards the medberth.

Shaking his helm, Breakdown entered the wash racks to get a cold towel for his friend. There were the cloths, hanging where they usually were. Breakdown chose a particularly soft one and took it over to the sink, where he wet it with the cold water tap.

CRASH.

Breakdown turned and dashed out of the wash racks, towel still lightly held in one hand, and back into the main medbay to find Knock Out collapsed on the floor, his mouth open and his helm resting on one of his shoulder plates.

"Knock Out! Are you okay?"

The red mech softly moaned in response.

Breakdown wiped one of his cheeks with the cloth, holding it there for a second before repeating the process with his other cheek. He spread the towel over Knock Out's forehead and lifted him up gently, lying him down on the medberth.

"B-Breaky…" the shivering medic whispered, reaching out with a shaking claw.

Breakdown took the servo, sitting down beside his friend. He took the cloth and started moving it over Knock Out's facial plates, while the latter whimpered and clutched tightly on his servo.

"Don't feel well," whined Knock Out, his optics dim.

"Where does it hurt?" asked Breakdown, already reaching behind him for a bucket.

"My-!"

Breakdown quickly sat Knock Out up and held the bucket over his lap.

The medic groaned and lifted a claw to cover his mouth. Breakdown could see his abdominal plates tensing in his effort to not purge his tanks.

"Relax," he encouraged. "Just let it happen."

He gently touched Knock Out's tank area, trying to get it to loosen up a bit. They only seemed to tense further at his touch, though.

Knock Out whimpered, his red optics watering up.

"Just let it out. It's okay."

A few minutes later, Knock Out coughed and finally purged his tanks into the bucket. He gasped, leaning backwards into Breakdown's arms and started sobbing into his shoulder.

Breakdown rubbed his back gently, running a servo down his cheek plate.

"Knock Out, don't cry," he whispered. "Please?"

The red mech sniffed and managed to suppress his tears.

"Now tell me what's wrong," soothed Breakdown.

Knock Out whimpered.

"That's your energon there!"

* * *

Starscream knocked on the door of the medbay, waiting patiently until Breakdown appeared in the doorway with a finger over his mouth.

"Can I visit?" asked Starscream.

Breakdown nodded. "Come in. But be careful with Knock Out, he's not feeling well."

Starscream walked into the room and looked around until he found the medic exactly where he expected him to be.

Knock Out was an absolute mess, curled up whimpering on the medberth with his helm resting on his right arm. His white cheek plates were streaked with tears, which still occasionally leaked from his dull, weary optics. Purged energon stained his red armour. It seemed a little paler than usual. A bucket, half-full of blue energon, sat on the ground beside the medberth.

Breakdown took a seat next to Knock Out and motioned for Starscream to do the same.

"Now what do you want?" he asked, glancing at one of Knock Out's monitors.

Starscream stared him straight in the optics.

"I want to help," he said simply.

Breakdown looked somewhat surprised at his offer. _Starscream_ wanting to _help?_

"Are you sure?" he finally managed to ask.

Starscream nodded. "Please, Breakdown. I've changed."

Breakdown smiled a little. "There really isn't much you can do, but your offer is appreciated."

A quiet moan came from where Knock Out lay on the medberth. The other two Decepticons turned and watched as he rolled onto his back. He didn't seem comfortable with this position either, and ended up tossing and turning like Soundwave with isomnia until Breakdown sat him up.

"Want some energon?" he asked gently.

Knock Out murmured something incomprehensible and shook his helm, stopping when it made him feel dizzy. With another moan, he rested his helm over Breakdown's chest, leaning against the larger mech.

"Get some cold water, and a towel," Breakdown instructed Starscream, while wrapping an arm around the overly warm, yet shivering, form of Knock Out.

Knock Out watched through blurred optics as Starscream left the medbay. He snuggled closer to Breakdown, seeking more of the comfort the other mech provided.

"Breakdown," he rasped.

"Yes, Knock Out?"

"Something's coming," the medic said eerily, his voice quiet and shaky.

Breakdown, naturally, was concerned. "What is it?"

Knock Out drew a sharp intake.

"A transformation."

Breakdown was confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, cupping Knock Out's cheek plate in one servo.

But he didn't get an answer in words. Instead, Knock Out broke into a fit of harsh coughing.

Breakdown sat him up upright and patted his back. From the corner of his optics, he saw Starscream enter the room. He gestured at him to leave the water and towel.

A few minutes later, Knock Out's coughing finally died down, leaving him tired and gasping for air. Breakdown gently lay him back down , before calling Starscream over.

"We're going to cool him down," he told the flyer.

Starscream brought the bucket of water with him to the medberth, where Knock Out lay with his optics offline. Breakdown took one cloth and dipped it in the water, wringing it out and running it over Knock Out's chest plates. Starscream did the same with a different cloth.

Breakdowm smiled as Knock Out moaned in pleasure at the cool sensation spreading over him body as the cold water did its job. A few minutes later, the beautiful red mech was deep in recharge.

Starscream dropped his towel into the bucket of cold water.

"Is there anything else we can do?" he asked.

Breakdown gazed out a window at the narrow moon outside.

"No. We can only hope he gets better soon."

* * *

-3 hours later-

Starscream was sitting around the medbay, reading a data pad. Some sort of human blabber Dreadwing had recommended. Juliet kissed Romeo, she died, yada yada. Suddenly, out of the corner of his optics, something red started glowing. A further check showed that it was Knock Out's right optic.

"Breakdown!" he called. "Knock Out's waking!"

Breakdown hurried over from where he was organising medical tools. Ever so tenderly, he helped Knock Out sit up.

"Feeling better?" he asked gently.

"Mmmnnnn," was the only answer he got. Breakdown smiled a little, shrugging it off as a yes.

"Come on, have some energon," he encouraged.

Knock Out shivered. "Okay," he agreed shakily.

Breakdown sat down in the chair Starscream had occupied a minute ago.

"Help yourself," he told Knock Out. "Starscream, keep him from falling over. When he's done, take him back to the medberth."

Starscream cleared his throat.

"I would like to volunteer my own energon," he announced.

Both Knock Out and Breakdown looked surprised.

"Knock Out needs you more than he needs me," he continued, addressing Breakdown. "Please, let me help."

Breakdown turned to Knock Out, and slowly nodded.

"Thank you, Starscream," whispered Knock Out, swinging his legs over the edge of the berth.

Starscream nodded and gestured for Breakdown to evacuate the chair.

"I'd recommend you lie down for this. You may not be used to the prick."

"I suppose."

Starscream lay down on the floor of the medbay. Offlining his optics, he muttered a "Go on."

Breakdown supported Knock Out as he got off the berth, knelt down and bit into Starscream's throat.

* * *

-The next night-

Soundwave, Third in Command of the Nemesis, was wandering the corridors. It was both a form of excersise and relaxation after a tiring day of work in front of the computer and a way to personally check that nobody was plotting anything, instead of through a camera.

He walked past Starscream's quarters, his peds barely making a noise. A flash of cherry red caught his optics, and he immediately turned to face it, only to have Knock Out pounce on him. The claws dug into his chest as the vampire pinned him to the ground and plunged his fangs into his throat, sucking out his very life force.

Soundwave struggled under the weight of his attacker. Knock Out was by no means heavy, or even strong for that matter. So how was he so easily keeping him flat on the ground?

Soundwave stared up into Knock Out's violet optics. He was getting drowsy from a lack of energon. He couldn't hold on any longer.

So this was it.

* * *

Breakdown switched on the medbay lights, frowning when he found no sign of a recharging Knock Out. No sign of Knock Out at all, in fact.

This was not good.

Breakdown dashed to the security room, knowing Soundwave wouldn't be manning the station. He pushed right past the half-recharging Vehicon standing in front of the monitor screen and quickly started scanning the screens for a certain cherry red bot.

Gotcha.

Knock Out was in Corridor 17, just outside of Starscream's quarters, pinning Soundwave to the floor.

Uh-oh.

Breakdown didn't hesitate, other than telling the now wide awake and very nervous Vehicon to sound the alarm and warn everyone about Knock Out. He ran as fast as he could to Corridor 17, where he saw what he had seen on the screens, only Soundwave...

He looked ready to give way.

Breakdown ran forwards and yanked Knock Out off Soundwave. He scooped up the Third in Command in his arms and dashed for the medbay, shaking the mindless, dazed Knock Out off his trail within thirty seconds.

Soundwave wasn't moving.

That was alarming, but pretty much expected in the current conditions. Breakdown lay him down on the medberth and hooked up an energon drip as quickly as he could, while still ensuring it was rigged up properly.

::STARSCREAM!:: he yelled through a comm link.

Starscream was already wide awake, after hearing footsteps outside his quarters, but the sudden burst of sound still made him jump off his berth is surprise.

::What, Breakdown?:: he demanded.

::No time to explain! Meet me in the security room IMMEDIATELY!::

Starscream did as instructed, out of both curiosity and fright. Mostly fright.

"Breakdown?" he called, entering the monitor room.

"Thought you'd be here by now," scowled Breakdown gruffly. "We've got a Knock Out on the loose."

Starscream was very, very confused.

"Knock Out?" he asked in surprise. "But he's..."

"I know!" yelled Breakdown. "But he's up and running, and nearly deactivated Soundwave!"

"He what!?"

"Yes, he did, and now thankfully he's not near anyone. Corridor 13. Come on, let's go."

"We're going? Where?"

Breakdown was already running out the door, and Starscream had no choice but to follow.

"Knock Out hunting!"

* * *

Knock Out moved as swiftly as the wind and as silent as an eagle down the corridor where the miner Vehicons' quarters were. Trying the door, he found it unlocked and so he barged right into the room and pounced on the nearest Vehicon, biting and killing it in one go, before moving on to the next one.

He could feed on them later.

Knock Out was onto his sixth Vehicon when an alarm sounded. A series of short, staccato beeps, that set one on high alert.

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!" a Vehicon's voice rang out over the comm links. "WATCH OUT FOR THE MEDIC. INTRUDER! INTRUDER!"

Meanwhile, Knock Out ignored it and continued his killing spree while the Vehicons, being Vehicons, started screaming.

* * *

Breakdown and Starscream were walking down Corridor 13, which was, conveniently, one of the loneliest, darkest corridors on board the Nemesis.

"Is it always this dark out?" asked Starscream, shivering a little.

Breakdown just pressed a finger to his lips and continued down the hallway.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Both Decepticons turned and tried to locate the source of the scream. The sound was echoing through the corridor, making it difficult to pinpoint which way it was coming from.

"The Vehicon's quarters!" yelled Breakdown. "This way!"

Starscream and Breakdown burst into the miner Vehicons' barracks to find all the Vehicons screaming, running around in circles.

"They certainly aren't very useful without a leader," commented Starscream flatly.

Most of the furniture was broken, or used as hiding places. Some of the Vehicons had their cannons out, but it wasn't doing any good; they kept hitting members of their own. And in the middle of all the mess was Knock Out, randomly taking down the Vehicons, killing them and moving on.

"Look," whispered Starscream, pointing. "The fighters are coming."

Sure enough, soon all the Vehicons were shooting at Knock Out.

"HOLD FIRE!" screamed Breakdown.

"Why?" asked a nearby flying unit, although everyone powered down their cannons.

Breakdown ignored it.

"Knock Out!" he called, addressing his friend.

Said mech looked up from killing a Vehicon and leapt onto Breakdown instead.

"Everyone back to your own quarters!" Starscream commanded the remaining Vehicons, before pulling Knock Out off Breakdown and punching him in the face.

The vampire growled and ran out of the room, towards the rear of the Nemesis.

Starscream helped Breakdown to his peds.

"C'mon!" snarled Breakdown, and chased after Knock Out, Starscream hot on his heels.

"He's heading towards the deck," panted Starscream.

"Then we will go there too."

They arrived on the rear deck twenty seconds later to find Knock Out ready and watiting for them. The energon-crazed mech attacked Breakdown first, cornering him.

Breakdown cursed. He couldn't beat Knock Out in strength or speed, that was for sure.

It was time to try some tactics.

Starscream, meanwhile, was shooting small bursts of energy at Knock Out, trying to at least slow him down. It wasn't working.

The bullets bounced harmlessly off Knock Out's armour like dead scraplets off a trampoline, and Starscream didn't dare try anything more powerful in fear of hurting him.

Breakdown ducked under Knock Out's arm, so that the latter was cornered exactly where he once had been. Starscream ran to stand beside him.

Knock Out growled and charged at them.

"DUCK!" shouted Breakdown.

Expecting contact but not getting it, a very surprised Knock Out collided with a far wall. With a roar, he leapt after Starscream, pinning him to a wall and bringing out his fangs.

He should've just killed him, but fresh energon tasted much better.

Knock Out took a draw of the rich blue energon, then another, and another, and...

Breakdown pulled Knock Out off Starscream, with quite a bit of difficulty.

"Consider us even," he told Starscream, as he struggled to hold Knock Out still.

Breakdown was forced to let go and duck when Knock Out lunged at him.

The vampire soared right over Breakdown, stumbled upon landing and tripped over a stray barrel, causing him to tumble over the railing of the deck to face the long drop below.

* * *

Breakdown sighed, putting the last of his medical tools away in a cupboard and collapsing into the nearest chair. There he sat resting, with his optics offline, for five minutes before he reluctantly got up to check that he'd done everything properly.

Knock Out was a sight for sore optics. His cherry red paint job was scratched and dented, his right arm almost completely torn off and his corresponding optic shattered, but still functional. Breakdown had connected two energon drips to his left servo, knowing that one wouldn't have been enough. He'd also draped a light, but comfortable, blanket over Knock Out's frame, both because the latter would have some heating problems after a fall from that high and also because he couldn't stand seeing his friend in this condition.

Knock Out had various wounds and gashes scattered all over his frame; on his legs, his chest, his back... But most noticeably, the gaping wound on his side that had taken Breakdown two hours to stem the bleeding of.

It was still trickling energon.

Knock Out, in his recharge, rolled over his injured side, causing him to cry out in pain as his claws instinctively flew to clutch at the injury.

Breakdown sighed, carefully removing the other mech's tapered digits from the wound and untangled the mess of energon lines hat had been created during his sudden shift of position.

Knock Out's crimson optics dimly onlined, looking as dull and tired as ever. He coughed into the blanket, some of which was conveniently in front of his mouth.

Breakdown moved the blanket, took his claw and held on, waiting for Knock Out to talk first.

"What happened?" the red mech asked, shaking Breakdown's servos off as he tried to sit up.

Breakdown gently pushed him back down again.

"Relax, Knock Out," he told the smaller mech. "You don't have to worry about it."

"No, Breaky," insisted Knock Out, although he didn't try to sit up again. "I need to know what happened."

"You don't remember?"

Knock Out shook his helm.

Breakdown sighed and gave in.

"Alright, if you insist."

"I do."

Breakdown took a deep breath and began his story.

"Okay. So, last night, I woke up to the sound of someone moving around. Because I couldn't fall back into recharge, I got up and discovered that you weren't in the room, so I knew that there was something wrong. I went to the security room to see where you were."

"Where was I?" asked Knock Out, dreading the answer.

"You were in Corridor 17, sucking the life force out of Soundwave."

Knock Out groaned.

"And Soundwave's fine now, his energon supply has finished regenerating. It's you I'm worried about."

"I'm fine," Knock Out reassured him. "Proceed."

"So then I called Starscream, and we went looking for you. We were walking down Corridor 13 when we heard screams coming from the miner Vehicons' barracks. Knock Out, are you feeling okay?"

"Okay?" Knock Out scowled. "I just fell from, like, a thousand kilometres and you expect me to be _OKAY?!"_

The carmine medic stopped and took a breath. "I feel fine. Go on."

"So anyways, we ran into the room and they were all shrieking their vocalisers out. Then the warriors came, and they all started shooting at you until we told them to stop. Or rather, yelled at them."

"Thanks, Breakdown," whispered Knock Out, meaningfully and sincerely.

"You're welcome."

Breakdown then continued with the story, but chose to leave out the part where Knock Out held him to the ground and almost got his energon.

"Back to the story. You escaped to the rear deck, where you attacked us and took some of Starscream's energon. Are you OK?"

Knock Out growled. "No, I'm not OK. I'm KO. You're saying I took Starscream's energon?"

Breakdown nodded.

"You're leaving something out. Admit it."

"Okay, okay. I surrender. Before you escaped, you pounced on me and pinned me to the floor. But you didn't take any energon," he quickly added, noticing Knock Out's horrified look.

"Then how come I remember tasting your energon?"

"Wait, you remember?"

Knock Out grimaced.

"A member of my kind never forgets what one's energon tastes like."

"You mean we're all different? Even the Vehicons?" asked Breakdown, curious. This was a new piece of information for him.

Knock Out nodded and started playing around with one of Breakdown's servos. Sensing a need for a change of topic, Breakdown continued retelling the events of the night before.

"I pulled you off Starscream, but I can tell you, it wasn't easy. I compliment you on your strength."

"That wasn't me," whispered Knock Out. "That was a vampire."

Breakdown rested his free servo on Knock Out's shoulder plate to offer a little comfort.

"I tried to hold you still, but you lunged at me so I ducked and next thing I knew, you fell over the railing."

Breakdown sighed.

"I'm sorry, Knock Out. For failing to protect you."

"NO!" Knock Out cired, wincing as his injured side sent a sharp stab of pain up his spinal cords. Despite the injury, he sat up, ignoring Breakdown's panicked pleas for him to lie down and stop exerting himself.

The cherry red mech held Breakdown's shoulder plate at arm's length with his one working claw. His scratched facial plates bore a serious expression that clearly read, 'No arguing'.

"Don't you DARE believe you failed! If it weren't for you, I'd have been killed by Megatron days ago! Shot by Vehicons! Left to bleed to death somewhere down on that muddy ball we call a planet! Breakdown, if it weren't for you, I'd have died ages ago!

"And if that's not enough, who saved me from that Insecticon? Who looked after me when I got myself run over by that train? More recently, who just fished me off that planet and fixed me? You did, Breakdown! You truly care for me like no-one else does, or is willing to!"

"Please get back down, Knock Out," begged Breakdown, a tear trickling down his left cheek plate. "You're over exerting yourself!"

"See, Breakdown?" continued Knock Out, tears streaking down his cheek plates. "That's another example of how much you care. You always worry for me, and you know when I have to stop!"

"Knock Out, please lie down, if there ever was a time you needed to stop, it's NOW!"

Knock Out leant forwards, burying his helm in Breakdown's chest plates, his shoulder plates shaking.

The blue mech lay his friend back down onto the medberth and wiped his tears with a corner of the blanket.

"Stay, Knock Out. I know you're stressed, and you have to let it out one way or another, but I can't have you running around getting yourself wrecked again right after I spend half a day fixing you."

Knock Out dimmed his optics.

"I'm sorry, Breakdown."

"There's no need to be sorry," smiled Breakdown, rubbing Knock Out's chest plates. Then, changing the subject, he asked,"Want to hear the rest of the story?"

Knock Out wearily nodded, his optics offline.

"Well..."

* * *

_Breakdown screamed as Knock Out disappeared over the railing of the Nemesis deck._

_"Starscream," he blurted. "Can you catch him?"_

_Starscream shook his helm. "You expect me to dive down and catch someone who would suck up all my energon in two minutes flat? And chances are I won't be able to catch up to him anyways."_

_Breakdown scowled._

_"Take me to Knock Out," he ordered in a tone that bore no argument._

_Starscream obediently transformed into his alt mode._

_"Sit just behind my cockpit and grab on to my wings," the flyer instructed._

_Breakdown tapped Starscream's wing to get the message across that he was ready._

_"Let's go!"_

* * *

_"KNOCK OUT!"_

_Breakdown crouched beside the fallen medic. Running his servos over the other mech's chest plates, he could see that the damage wasn't light. He'd fallen from the deck of the Nemesis, after all._

_Shattered optics. Those could wait. Right arm almost ripped off. Nothing he could do about it. Gaping wound on left side._

_Breakdown quickly took out a medical kit and clamped the largest clamp he could find over the injury. It should hold for a while._

_Starscream silently walked up behind the blue mech, watching as he worked. Finally, after five minutes, Breakdown turned and addressed him._

_"Can you carry both of us up at once?"_

_Starscream frowned. "Carrying you by yourself is hard enough. You're no lightweight, you know."_

_"Alright. Starscream, I am going to tie Knock Out to you using a timed chain lock. You have five minutes to get him up there, and the chains will undo automatically. Think you can do it?"_

_"Of course," came the smug reply._

_Breakdown slipped his servos under Knock Out and carried him bridal style over to Starscream, who was waiting in his alt mode._

_"Ready!" called Breakdown._

_Starscream opened his thrusters full force and took off into the night sky._

_"AND DON'T FORGET TO COME BACK FOR ME!"_

* * *

_-Thirty minutes later-_

_Breakdown cursed as the wound on Knock Out's waist burst open again. His legs could wait. He grabbed the welder and attached the severed energon lines back together, hammering a temporary cover in place so that Knock Out's internal wiring wouldn't be exposed._

_With a deep sigh, Breakdown dropped the welder and ested his servos for a few minutes. Knock Out was stable for now._

_"Want some energon?" asked Starscream, entering the medbay with a cube of energon in each claw._

_"Don't mention energon," grunted Breakdown. "My servos are covered in it."_

_Starscream glanced down at Breakdown's servos and passed him a cloth._

_Breakdown wiped as much energon as he could off and handed it back to Starscream._

_"Thanks. Now I need you to help me with something." Breakdown reached into a cupboard behind him and pulled out an empty energon cube, giving it to Starscream. He cut one of his left digits, letting the energon flow into the cube._

_When the cube was mostly full, he handed Starscream his welder._

_"Just melt the metal together," he instructed. "Knock Out can fix it when he gets better."_

_Starscream quickly turned on the tool and sealed Breakdown's digit back together._

_"He will get better, right?" he asked nervously._

_Breakdown spread his servos in an 'I don't know' gesture._

_"You should get some recharge," he told the flyer. "You don't have to stay up all night, I have everything under control. Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you."_

_"You're welcome," smiled Starscream, yawning and walking out the door. "See you tomorrow."_

_Breakdown just grunted and stood up to give Knock Out the cube of energon._

* * *

"So that's why I tasted your energon?" asked Knock Out, although it was more of a statement.

Breakdown nodded, caressing the top of Knock Out's helm.

Knock Out cried out in pain as the wound in his side decided to suddenly make itself known again.

"Breaky!" he gasped. "It hurts!"

Breakdown reached down and massaged the area around Knock Out's injury.

"Better?"

A small whimper was Knock Out's only answer.

"It's okay. The pain will go away soon. Do you want a painkiller?"

Knock Out nodded, biting his lip in pain.

Breakdown prepared the syringe and plunged it into Knock Out's left arm.

The red mech immediately found himself getting rather drowsy.

"It was a sedative too," Breakdown told him. "Recharging will help you recover."

"Thank you," whispered Knock Out.

As Knock Out drifted off into recharge, Breakdown found himself rapidly following.

* * *

"BREAKDOWN! WAKE UP!"

Breakdown snapped back into reality at the sound of Starscream's not so smooth vocals shouting as loudly as they could.

"Knock Out's monitors are beeping like crazy!" the silver flyer yelled.

Breakdown jumped up and examined Knock Out.

"His spark's destabilising, but I have no idea why! There's nothing I can do!" he replied, almost going into panic mode.

"There has to be something!" Starscream shouted desperately at him. "Think! Did Knock Out ever use any emergency treatments for extinguishing sparks!?"

Breakdown racked his processor for something, anything, that could help Knock Out. He had to. His friend depended on it.

Once upon a time, a few millennia ago, back on Cybertron, Knock Out had done a tricky little manouevre on a dying gladiator...a spark rubbing.

Breakdown ripped open Knock Out's chest plates, so that he could see the rapidly fading blue spark inside. He reached out for it, moving his servos around it, coaxing it to stay in Knock Out's fading shell.

 _Please, Knock Out,_ he begged.

_Live..._

 


	3. Discovery

"Shh," whispered Arcee as she ducked around a corner.

She got a bored warble in response that roughly translated into, "Is there really a need?"

Arcee stopped and turned to face Bumblebee.

"Yes, Bee, there is. You never know when a 'Con will appear out of nowhere. As a scout, you should know that!"

Bumblebee beeped in acceptance and they continued down the hallway marked 'Corridor Five'.

Arcee froze upon passing the medbay, pressing her audio receptors to the door.

"It sounds like there's a medical emergency in there," she whispered, as Bumblebee tilted his helm in curiosity.

A relieved sigh came from inside the room.

"Emergency's over," commented Arcee, and motioned for Bumblebee to follow her. No sooner had they reached the end of the corridor, then the medbay door swung open.

The Autobots didn't stop to figure out who was coming out. Instead, they kept advancing towards the brig, where Smokescreen was presumably being held.

Arcee burst into the room, her guns at the ready. When she saw the limp, lifeless figure lying prone on the floor, however, she quickly transformed them back into her servos and ran towards Smokescreen, mouth hanging open in shock.

"No..." she whispered, running a servo over his pale cheek plate. "Smokescreen..."

The blue femme suddenly leapt up, her cannons whirring to life.

"They terminated Smokescreen!" she would've screamed, if Bumblebee hadn't clamped a servo over her mouth. He held her still, waiting for her to calm down. When it didn't happen, he called Ratchet for a groundbridge.

"This groundbridge hasn't been working properly since those fraggin' scraplets came along!" came Ratchet's grumpy voice over the comm. "I'll have to bridge you onto the ground, and then back to base."

A second later, a swirling, blue-green portal appeared in front of them. Bumblebee dragged the infuriated Arcee through. He had to focus on the living, although it was hard to resist the urge to go back for Smokescreen's corpse.

Soon, the Autobots emerged into the bright desert sunlight.

Arcee growled as Bumblebee let go of her arms. She was about to explode and demand why she couldn't avenge her mission partners when a flash of light reflecting off something metal caught her optics.

* * *

_Please, Knock Out._

_Live..._

Breakdown fought back tears of grief as the slowly pulsing, cerulean ball of light started to leave Knock Out's chest, rising into the air. He moved his servos faster, begging it to stay.

The spark hesitated in its ascent, as if it had heeded his call. It seemed to take a minute to decide, before slowly settling back into Knock Out's spark chamber.

Breakdown breathed a sigh of relief as the entrance to the chamber snapped shut, concealing Knock Out's spark from view.

"That...was...close," breathed Starscream.

Breakdown didn't respond, instead in favour of letting his tears of relief trickle down his cheek plates. A minute later, he picked up his medical tools and fixed Knock Out's chest plates back into place.

A light tap on his shoulder reminded Breakdown of Starscream's presence.

"What?" he grunted.

"He's  _waking!"_

Breakdown gasped, turning to stare at the red mech's facial plates.

Knock Out let out a quiet groan as his optics dully onlined.

"How are you feeling?" asked Breakdown, caressing his helm.

"Bad," was the only response he received.

Starscream and Breakdown exchanged a look, and were so relieved they burst out laughing, leaving a very confused Knock Out staring incredulously at them.

"I wake up one day, and find that everyone's suddenly gone crazy," the medic muttered, wincing when his injured side sent another stab of pain shooting up his frame.

"Breakdown," he called. "Any chance of... urgh... another painkiller? A non-sedative one this time?"

Breakdown gave a "Sure," as a reply and moved to get a syringe.

Knock Out sighed and turned to Starscream.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's more of what he did here," answered Breakdown for the flyer.

"What did he do?"

"He saved your life."

Knock Out shot Starscream a small smile, believing Breakdown.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," smirked Starscream, bowing slightly.

Breakdown finished preparing the syringe and walker over to the medberth. He was about to inject the shot when a loud voice over his comm system interrupted him.

::BREAKDOWN! KNOCK OUT! GET YOUR FRAGGIN' AFTS TO THE COMMAND ROOM RIGHT THIS SECOND!:: yelled Megatron through the link.

::Sir-::

Knock Out placed a claw on Breakdown's arm.

"Please don't argue," he begged. "It'll only make it worse."

Breakdown sighed.

::Yes sir::

Then he turned to Knock Out.

"Now what do we do?"

"Help me up," replied the medic.

"Are you sure?"

Knock Out nodded.

"Well, okay then."

Breakdown bent over and wrapped and arm around Knock Out's waist. The red mech placed his right arm around Breakdown's shoulders, and the two Decepticons awkwardly stood up.

Starscream moved to help, but Breakdown shook him off.

"No, Starscream. We don't want you to get into trouble. You've already done everything you can."

Knock Out nodded weakly, strained from standing up right after a major operation.

Starscream frowned, but retreated.

"Good luck," he said, before turning and walking down the corridor.

"We'll need it," grunted Breakdown.

"What's that?" murmured Knock Out.

"What did you say?"

The red mech shook his helm.

"Nothing."

But he could've sworn he'd seen a flash of yellow.

A few minutes later, they were greeted into the command room with a punch in the face each.

Knock Out flew out of Breakdown's grip and flew into a solid wall with a loud yelp, before crashing to the floor, where he lay, almost offline.

"Restrain Breakdown," Megatron instructed Soundwave, who promptly snaked his tentacles around Breakdown, who was trying to get up.

Megatron advanced towards Knock Out, his cannon ablaze and at the ready.

"Got anything to say for yourself?" he demanded.

Knock Out found himself at a loss for words. What really was there to say? And even if he could think of something, he didn't feel like he had enough strength to say it.

The Decepticon medic shook his helm and squeezed his optics shut, awaiting the impact of Megatron's killing blow.

"Pathetic," spat the warlord, before punching Knock Out in the chest.

The force was enough to send the vampire crashing through the wall, which was conveniently also the outermost hull of the Nemesis.

Knock Out screamed as he fell towards the rapidly approaching ground.

* * *

Breakdown growled, finally managing to wrestle Soundwave and his creepy tentacles off his body.

"How dare you!" he roared, charging towards Megatron.

The warlord simply pointed his cannon at Breakdown's chest and fired, blasting the blue mech across the room and slamming into a corridor wall.

"I should've kept him to watch you die," mused Megatron to himself, before pointing his weapon again.

Breakdown stared through dull yellow optics at the tip of Megatron's cannon pressing to his chest. There really was no point fighting now. Knock Out was gone. Dead. And he would soon be too.

Hopefully his leader would make this quick.

Lord Megatron fired his cannon point-blank straight into Breakdown's chest, killing him on the spot.

"Throw that overboard," he growled at Soundwave.

* * *

"What's that over there?"

Bumblebee shrugged and headed towards it, beeping in alarm when he realised what it was.

"Knock Out!?" exclaimed an alarmed Arcee.

The femme knelt down beside the unconscious form of the Decepticon medic.

"He's still alive," she frowned. "But only just."

Bumblebee beeped.

Arcee stood up to her full height.

"Bee, why? Why should we take him back to base?"

"Because of who we are," came Ratchet's voice over Bumblebee's comm link. "If we do not save lives in need, then what separates us from the Decepticons?"

"Since when did you do that type of lecture?"

"Since I learnt that victory isn't about defeating your enemies, but about honour."

Arcee sighed in admittance and snaked her arms under Knock Out's chest.

"Alright then. Bridge us back."

Ratchet, after sending Arcee and Bumblebee a groundbridge, hurried to prepare a medberth for his next patient.

"Take him here!" he called.

"That..." panted Arcee. "Could...prove...a challenge!"

Ratchet ran back into the main room and would've burst out laughing, had not somebody been seriously injured.

The medic took Knock Out into his arms and lay him down on the medberth he had prepared.

"Stay out," he ordered.

"Ratchet!" cried Arcee, stubbornly standing in the doorway.

"What!?" snapped Ratchet as he ran a scan over Knock Out, frowning at the results.

"Smokescreen...he's gone."

Ratchet stared at her in shock.

"Do you know why?"

Arcee shook her helm.

"He was in the brig when we found him," the blue femme whispered. "I don't know what happened."

"Was there anything unusual about his corpse?" asked Ratchet suspiciously, reading over Knock Out's scan again.

Arcee frowned, trying to remember.

* * *

_Arcee burst into the brig of the Nemesis with both her guns alive and at the ready, expecting some sort of Vehicon attack. She was shocked at the sight of her friend and comrade lying prone, offline, on the floor, chains around his wrists and ankles._

_"No," she whispered, dropping to her knees and running a servo down the white mech's cheek plate._

_Smokescreen's mouth was hanging open, showing that he had either been screaming or struggling to breathe when he had offlined. His body was mostly unscathed. There was a gaping wound in his tank area. The Decepticons had obviously caused that. But what was most confusing, there were two tiny pricks in his throat..._

* * *

"A VAMPIRE DID THIS!" roared Arcee, clenching her fists. "I VOW, I WILL AVENGE SMOKESCREEN!"

The blue femme spun around and marched out of the medbay.

Ratchet decided it was best not to let her know who the vampire was.

* * *

About three hours later, a very tired-looking Ratchet walked out of the medbay and collapsed onto a bench, where Optimus offered him a cube of energon.

"How is he?" the Prime asked.

Ratchet sighed, taking a sip.

"He's alive," he replied.

"Well, that's a start," smiled Optimus, taking a seat beside him.

"Optimus, we have a problem."

Meanwhile, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were at the other side of the main room, doing practically nothing.

"Beep whirr booop," complained Bumblebee.

"I know, Bee," replied Arcee, bored. "If only Smokescreen was here."

"Beeeeep."

"Hey," Bulkhead interrupted, tapping Bumblebee on the shoulder. "I think Optimus and Ratchet have finished their private conversation."

Optimus strode into the main room, Ratchet behind him.

"Knock Out is alive and stable," he stated. "And chances are high that he will recover. But as he does so, he will need someone to constantly watch over him."

Every optic in the room turned to Arcee, who cried out in outrage.

"You want me to play nurse? To Knock Out!?"

Optimus nodded.

"But why me?"

It was Ratchet who answered.

"Well, Optimus is clearly out of the question, as waking up to the sight of the leader of the opposite faction could be a little disturbing-"

"And you?" snapped Arcee.

"I'm busy. And occupied elsewhere."

"Why not Bumblebee?"

"Beep whirr beep," explained Bumblebee.

"Bulkhead?"

Ratchet dismissed it with a wave of the servo.

"Too clumsy."

Arcee sighed in frustration.

"Fine then," she grumbled, slumping back against the wall.

Ratchet grimly smiled.

"Your duties start tomorrow," he told her as he walked away. "Watch over him, and tell me if he wakes up."

Bulkhead stared after him.

"Does anyone else here get the feeling he's hiding something?"

* * *

_-Two days later-_

"Knock Out's waking!" announced Arcee, running out of the medbay.

Ratchet looked up from the computer screen and pulled out a tray with a cube of energon on it.

"Take that to Knock Out," he told her.

Arcee took the tray and stared at the cube.

"It looks...different to normal energon. And it's not synthetic energon. So what is it?"

The energon inside the cube was, indeed, a darker colour than normal energon, and was certainly not green, but was brighter than both types.

Ratchet turned back to the screen.

"Knock Out is currently in a very weak condition," he told her. "He lost so much energon he almost offlined  _three times_  on my medberth. I'm putting him on this energon until his tank is strong enough to handle normal energon."

"It looks just like life energon," Arcee pointed out, sniffing the cube.

"Just the way it's made," replied Ratchet, typing up a couple of Cybertronian words.

Arcee shrugged and walked into the medbay, tray delicately balanced in one servo.

Knock Out's crimson optics onlined, switched their focus to her and immediately took on a look of fright and fear.

"Relax," snapped Arcee. "I'm not going to hurt you, although you should watch out once you get better."

A shocking fact hit Knock Out like a flying scraplet.

He was alive.

After two falls from the Nemesis, he was alive.

Knock Out's tensed frame loosened a little, although he still had a wary look in his optics. The medic stared at Arcee as though she was a bomb about to go off.

Knock Out registered at least four major injuries on his frame; one on his chest, one on his left leg, a very painful one on his right shoulder plate and the wound on his side from his previous fall, which, by the looks of it, had been torn open again.

Needless to say, it hurt.

A lot.

There was no point in asking where he was. The flat medberth, lack of Breakdown and blue Autobot femme watching over him gave it away. He'd have to make sure he didn't get too comfortable. One slip of his vocaliser, and...

It didn't help that this femme appeared to the mission partner of Smokescreen, the Autobot he'd drained.

"Want some energon?" asked Arcee.

Now would be a good time to fake sick. Knock Out didn't want a repeat of what he went through with Breakdown.

Where was Breakdown?

Knock Out snapped back from his thoughts when he awkwardly realised that Arcee was still waiting for an answer.

"I feel sick," he whined.

"I don't care," the Autobot replied flatly.

 _I should be nicer to him,_  a tiny voice whispered in her processor.

Arcee scowled, but knew it was right.

"Why do I have to drink it?" asked Knock Out, although he  _was_  feeling hungry. But not hungry enough to attack the femme.

Arcee sat down in a chair and set the tray on the bedside table.

"If you don't, you'll dehydrate. Did that fall scramble your processor or something? You should've known that."

"I did," replied Knock Out, before realising the contradiction between the statement and his previous question. "It's just that I don't feel up to it. Ow... my tank hurts."

He made to move his right claw to cover his stomach plating, only to find an energon drip attached to the limb. Then he tried his other claw, only to find that most of the hand, and three of the digits, had been chopped off.

Arcee watched on in mild amusement, but mostly annoyance at being made caretaker to a Decepticon. Holding out the cube, she propped Knock Out up against the wall.

"Drink up," she told him. "Doctor's orders."

Knock Out glared at her.

"Fine," he scowled. "But don't blame me if it makes me purge my tanks all over the place."

"I'm not on cleaning shift," replied Arcee, before pressing the cube to his lips.

Knock Out took a small sip of the fluid, and nearly choked with surprise. The energon...It was from the body of a Cybertronian, that was for sure. And he'd tasted it before somewhere...

He was supposed to be able to remember!

His dazed optics and the look on frustration on his facial plates didn't go unnoticed. Arcee was watching his every move.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

Knock was flung back into reality.

"I said, are you okay?"

Knock Out's first instinct was to blurt out something along the lines of "Okay? I just fell from, like, a thousand kilometres and you expect me to be  _OKAY?!"_ but instead settled on "Fine."

Arcee shrugged. She forced more energon into his mouth, and he revelled in the taste of the sweet, refreshing liquid.

It tasted so much better straight from a living being, though...

Knock Out cringed when the thought reminded him of his weeks of torture in the cells of the Nemesis. But then Arcee gave him more energon, and the horrible memories were soon forgotten. Temporarily, at least.

Arcee placed the empty cube back onto the tray as Knock Out shifted back into his original position.

"Thanks," the cherry red mech murmured as his optics grew weary.

Arcee pulled a data pad out of nowhere and started reading.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Tell me if you need anything."

Knock Out nodded.

"And you'd better get well soon."

Knock Out gulped at the thought of what she could've meant by that. But there was no need to keep himself awake, wondering, when he could be resting. Knock Out let his tiredness catch up to him and soon, he was deep in recharge.

Arcee put away her data pad and stood up. She'd been keeping an optic on Knock Out for the twenty minutes it had taken him to fall into recharge, and couldn't have been more relieved that she was now free to go.

Arcee cast one last look at the recharging form of Knock Out.

_He's pretty..._

Arcee dispelled the intruding thought from her mind.

* * *

_-3 days later-_

Although reluctantly at first, Arcee found herself warming to Knock Out and his annoying presence. He was actually quite a nice mech, if not a little vain, once he opened up. Not bad looking, too…

 _Shut up,_  Arcee growled to herself.

At that particular instance, Knock Out and Arcee were playing a game of Battleships. It was rather convenient that the medic's servos were in operational status again.

"I throw a fusion cannon at B17," said Knock Out.

"Miss. And you don't throw fusion cannons, you shoot with them."

The red mech shrugged the best he could manage with one shoulder, wincing with pain.

"Whatever. You go."

"C3?"

"Frag you! You just took my last patrol ship out of commission!"

Arcee laughed, crossing out a coordinate.

"I throw Bulkhead at D15," announced Knock Out happily.

"Seriously?" replied Arcee, signalling that he had missed yet again. "Well, what a waste of Autobots. H5?"

"Yess! You missed for once! I chuck the Nemesis at D4."

"Nope. A8?"

"Frag. You. I launch Bulkhead at D16."

Arcee face-palmed.

"You know you threw Bulkhead at D15 like, two turns ago?"

"Well, I fished him out of the water and launched him again."

"Whatever, you missed anyways."

Arcee fiddled around a bit with one of her ships.

"Oh, and by the way," she added. "I launch a tomato at F6."

"What's a tomato?"

"Wait here," said Arcee flatly, walking outside.

"Miko, can I borrow your fruit?"

The Japanese girl shrugged and threw a tomato at Arcee, who caught it easily.

"This is a tomato," declared Arcee, re-entering the medbay and throwing the tomato at Knock Out before popping back outside and telling an indifferent Miko that her lunch would not be returned.

"Frag," cursed Knock Out as the tomato splatted him in the face.

* * *

_-2 hours later-_

Ratchet looked up as a certain ex-Wrecker walked through the groundbridge, a rather large sack slung over his right shoulder.

"What's in there?" he asked, although the look on Bulkhead's facial plates did not foretell good news.

Ratchet watched as Bulkhead wordlessly tipped the sack over, and immediately wished he hadn't.

* * *

"Bulkhead's a mountain."

"Mount Bulkhead? Catchy."

"Then what's Doc over there?"

"I don't know, a hill?"

"I think he's more of an ocean. Wild and unpredictable, yet necessary."

"Wouldn't that be a hurricane?"

"Are hurricanes necessary?"

"No. It just sounds better."

"I suppose Hurricane Ratchet does sound better than Ratchet Hill or the Ratchet Ocean, but I'd rather stick to geographical features."

"If you say so, Sir."

"I do."

"We're not saying wedding vows."

"Sledding fowls don't seem safe to me."

"Oh, nevermind. So, what about Optimus?"

"Let's save the big guy for last. I think Bumblebee would be-"

Knock Out froze mid-sentence, a look of shock and terror plastered to his facial plates. Arcee followed his line of vision, and was soon wearing the same expression.

_Breakdown._

She couldn't believe it. So here was Knock Out's closest friend and guardian, reduced to this... heap of scorched, disfigured scrap metal?

Beside her, Knock Out was obviously thinking along the same lines. The cherry red mech leapt up from the medberth, stumbling a few steps towards the door before dropping to his knees, hissing in pain.

Arcee was at his side within two seconds.

"Knock Out! Are you hurt?"

When she got no response, Arcee lifted him the best she could and made to help him to the medberth.

Knock Out shook her off.

"I'm not going back to the medberth," he growled, wincing. "I have to see Breakdown!"

Arcee was about to refuse, but then her spark softened. How hard had she had to beg Optimus to let her go and find Smokescreen? How disappointed had she been every time he had refused? How horrified and shocked had she been when she discovered that Smokescreen was... dead?

And furthermore, how shattered she had been when she hadn't been able to send Smokescreen her last farewells?

Arcee turned and instead guided Knock Out out into the main room, where they came face to face with an explosion.

Ratchet, to be exact.

"What the frag are you two doing out here?! I told you he was confined to the berth until-"

"He insisted," grunted Arcee, dropping Knock Out off on the bench and sitting down beside him.

Knock Out didn't stay on the bench for long. Within seconds, he was kneeling beside Breakdown's mangled corpse, optics filled with horror.

"Breakdown," he whispered, running a claw down the blue mech's alabaster cheek plates.

His shoulders started shaking as the first tears slipped down his facial plates, like how Breakdown had slipped away from him.

"Breakdown..."

Knock Out slumped over Breakdown's lifeless body, screaming and sobbing helplessly while the Autobots could only watch on in heartbreak.

It was spark-wrenching to hear Knock Out cry, a painful, anguished sound that showed how much its owner was hurting.

Arcee took a step forwards, but stopped when Optimus grabbed her shoulder.

"What?" she hissed.

"Arcee, he has just lost a close friend. He needs some space to himself for a while."

Although Arcee stopped trying to approach, Knock Out couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at the way Optimus had talked about him. He knew the Prime was right, so why was he so...

_Breakdown..._

Knock Out felt his inner volcano erupt bubbling inside him, threatening to turn his mind and emotions into a full-blown inferno.

"I have to sedate him," said Ratchet finally, picking up a syringe.

When Optimus moved to stop him, he cut his leader off.

"No, Optimus," the medic protested. "I cannot allow him to have an emotional breakdown! It will do him more harm than good!"

Ratchet only realised his pun when Knock Out sobbed harder from his spot on the floor.

"Sorry!" blurted Ratchet uncharacteristically. "I didn't mean to..."

He stopped when Knock Out waved a servo in his direction.

"Not...your...fault," the red mech choked.

Knock Out wiped his tears, before completely losing it again.

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT! HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME! IF I HADN'T BEEN BITTEN-"

Knock Out caught his vocaliser just in time.

"It's all my fault," he whimpered, his voice static-filled and strained. "It there's anyone to blame, it's me."

Arcee placed a servo on his shoulder plate.

"It's not your fault," she told him, gently but firmly. "It was Megatron. Megatron, and the Decepticons."

Knock Out wiped his optics again, the look of hurt on his facial plates replaced with anger as he screamed.

"THEN I'M JOINING THE AUTOBOTS!"

* * *

_-4 hours later-_

"Wha..." murmured Knock Out, stirring.

"He's waking," said someone in a hushed tone. A light, feminine voice. Arcee.

"You go," came another. "He trusts you most."

Knock Out felt another wave of annoyance at the way he was being spoken about.

_Breakdown._

"Hello," greeted Arcee, touching his shoulder plate.

"He's… He's gone, isn't he?"

Arcee's following silence spoke volumes.

Knock Out's optics finally cleared, and he could see her clearly. The femme was perched on the edge of the medberth, a cube of energon in one servo. Ratchet was working in the background.

"Here, have some energon," Arcee suggested, offering him the cube.

Knock Out pushed it away with a servo he couldn't feel.

"Leave me alone," he whispered, tears clouding his optics.

Arcee started rubbing his chest plates, trying to sooth his aching spark.

"Just… leave me alone!" he repeated, although he knew that he wanted the exact opposite. He wanted to be cuddled, comforted. He wanted…

He just wanted someone to understand.

And that someone was one with the Allspark.

"You need rest," whispered a voice.

Knock Out didn't care who it was. He didn't care anymore. He just wanted Breakdown!

"Quiet, you'll be okay. Everything will be just fine."

He so desperately wanted to believe the voice. But he knew that it was wrong. He was ruined, shattered. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Not without Breakdown.

"Now rest…"

Warm, gentle servos caressed his chest plates, coaxing him to recharge.

Knock Out gave a cry of sorrow, before drifting off.

* * *

_Knock Out walked down the dark corridor, highly disorientated. He'd been stumbling down the same path for the past few hours, mostly because it was the only path._

_With a cry of pain, Knock Out tripped over a rock and crashed to the ground. Turning to the left, he suddenly saw a pinprick of light._

_The red mech jumped up and followed the light, coming across a few space slugs before exiting the tunnel out into the bright sunlight._

" _Knock Out!" called a voice._

_Knock Out's optics finished rebooting to adjust to the light, and he turned._

" _Breakdown?" he gasped, reaching out with a claw._

" _Follow me," Breakdown told him, and they were both teleported to somewhere else. Knock Out looked around, and noticed that Breakdown was no longer beside him. As the scenery refined itself, he groaned in horror at where he was._

_"How dare you!" Breakdown roared, charging towards Megatron._

_The warlord simply pointed his cannon at Breakdown's chest and fired, blasting the blue mech across the room and slamming into a corridor wall._

_"I should've kept him to watch you die," mused Megatron to himself, before pointing his weapon again._

" _Just end it quickly," moaned Breakdown._

_Megatron suddenly vanished and was replaced with a picture of Knock Out himself. The real Knock Out, a few metres away, found himself disintegrating, losing control of his body so that all he could do was watch, wait and try vainly to offline his optics._

" _Why should I?" asked the Knock Out replica, taking a sword out of nowhere and swinging it around. Tentacles snaked up from the ground, restraining Breakdown._

_Knock Out took a moment to glance over at Soundwave. A wicked grin spread over his facial plates, and he beckoned the Third in Command over._

" _Lie down," he instructed._

_When Soundwave refused, Knock Out simply snarled and stabbed him in the side with his sword. Soundwave collapsed to the ground, where more serpentine vines sprouted up and held him down._

" _Why are you doing this? What did Soundwave do wrong?" asked Breakdown, craning his neck to get a better look of what was going on._

_Knock Out's replica turned to face him._

" _Won't you like to know?" he taunted. "I just thought it would be a little more fun to make you watch him die…"_

_Breakdown's restraints suddenly moved, shifting the blue mech into a sitting position against the wall._

_Knock Out laughed and turned back to Soundwave, who was struggling to free himself._

" _Stop struggling," sighed the red mech, servos on his hips._

_Soundwave ignored him, bringing out his own tentacles to fight the ones that were pinning him to the floor._

" _You've been warned," shrugged Knock Out, and clicked his digits._

_The vines looped around Soundwave's frame suddenly tightened, cutting off the flow of energon and causing the black and violet mech to writhe in pain._

" _We can do this the easy way or the hard way," announced Knock Out, smirking evilly. "Stop struggling."_

_Soundwave's body jolted as he continued fighting the bonds. Finally, he gave up, lying still on the floor._

" _Finally," drawled Knock Out, loosening the tentacles. "Now while we're on the subject of tentacles…"_

_The medic moved forwards, grabbing hold of one of Soundwave's tentacles and inspecting it._

_Soundwave flicked the appendage, trying to pull free._

_Knock Out just shrugged and sliced off a piece with his sword, causing the other Decepticon to twitch in pain. Laughing, the red mech continued cutting off the tentacle, bit by bit, sometimes adding a little twisting pattern to make it hurt even more._

_Finally, he flicked his sabre one last time and the last of Soundwave's tentacle fell away._

_Knock Out casually twirled around to where Breakdown was staring at him, a horrified look on his facial plates._

" _Knock Out..."_

" _What? The restraints? Oh, those. I invented them myself. They're beauties, aren't they?"_

_Knock Out smiled, taking out a small remote._

" _Based off Soundwave himself. And all that wiring…packed neatly into this little friend of mine."_

_"Knock Out... Why?"_

_Intense hatred flickered into the tormenter's optics._

_"Soundwave is a plain nuisance. He spies on everyone when they don't want it, he's Megatron's little pet- and not to mention that irritating fowl of his."_

_Laserbeak flitted on Soundwave's chest, either in response to the insult or to enquire about his master's wellbeing._

_"And so he must die," the medic concluded, returning to his previous smile._

_Breakdown shuddered, offlining his optics._

" _No, we can't have that, can we?" cooed Knock Out, kneeling down beside the blue mech. "We want you to see everything. We want you to watch me kill Soundwave, don't we?"_

_Knock Out flicked a switch, manually turning on Breakdown's optics and locking them so that the other mech couldn't disable them._

" _Much better," he remarked, walking over to where Soundwave was shuddering violently in pain._

" _Time to see if you can talk," the cherry red mech declared brightly, twirling his sword around in one claw. He proceeded to repeat his slicing process with Soundwave's other tentacles, one by one, until he was sure there were none left._

_Until Soundwave was lying in a puddle of his own energon._

_Knock Out put down his sword and snapped back the Third in Command's restraints, knowing he was too weak to fight back now. He moved his claws to his next destination; he'd planned all this carefully, after all…_

_Stupid drone. Completely refusing to move._

_Knock Out transformed a servo into a buzzsaw and cut off Laserbeak's left wing, causing the drone to squawk in agony. Soundwave let out a low moan, quickly cutting it off as if he didn't want anyone to hear._

_Of course, in the silence of the Command Room, everyone heard it as clear as daylight._

" _What was that?" asked Knock Out, feigning curiosity. "Nothing?"_

_The red mech shrugged and proceeded to discard Laserbeak's other wing._

_Laserbeak screeched, a loud, static-filled noise that caused Breakdown to wince and try to cover his audio receptors. Naturally, it didn't work._

_Soundwave quietly whimpered._

" _Oh," mimed Knock Out, as if realisation had suddenly dawned upon him. "So you can feel his pain, hmm?"_

_Soundwave nodded weakly, knowing that his beloved Laserbeak was close to death. He was losing far too much energon._

" _Please…" Soundwave gasped, his voice raspy from lack of use._

" _So you can talk," stated Knock Out, grinning._

" _Please… fix him," pleaded Soundwave, moving a servo to stroke Laserbeak's back._

" _Why?"_

_The black and violet mech trembled._

" _Laserbeak is family," he whimpered._

" _Family, hmm?"_

_Soundwave nodded feebly, trying to sooth his distraught drone._

" _Well, let's see what I can do."_

_Knock Out placed his claws on Laserbeak's sides and yanked, pulling the bird-like drone off Soundwave's chest plates and causing both of them to cry out._

" _Just... end it quickly!" screamed Soundwave, knowing that Knock Out wasn't going to fix Laserbeak._

" _Nope," giggled Knock Out triumphantly, tossing Laserbeak to one side. "I'll just leave him to bleed to death. He should pop soon. But as for you… I have other things planned."_

_Soundwave shuddered, feeling his body growing weaker by the second._

_Knock Out picked up his sword again and drove it into Soundwave's shoulder plate, pushed it right through and pulled it back out again, twisting it to make sure it hurt._

_Soundwave screamed in pain, writhing on the floor. Speech was beyond him. Coherent thought was beyond him. All he could feel in that moment was fear, the fear of Laserbeak's suffering, the fear of more pain. He had been through worse- what was so special about this time that blocked his senses?  
_

_Death. That was it._

_The fear of death._

" _STOP!" yelled a voice._

" _Breakdown," drawled Knock Out, looking bored as he turned around to face his assistant._

" _Stop it," panted Breakdown. "Don't hurt him further. Kill me, just leave him alone."_

" _You know he's probably going to die from a loss of energon anyways?" asked Knock Out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

" _Just leave him," growled Breakdown._

_Knock Out shrugged._

" _It's too late for him now," he simply stated. "Might as well make use of what's left."_

_Soundwave jolted forwards as Laserbeak's spark extinguished a few metres away._

_He couldn't cry anymore. He couldn't struggle. This was too much for even Soundwave to take. A sudden wave of tiredness swept over him, throbbing along with the pain. Soundwave felt his tense frame finally relax, defying the fear he felt- more intense than ever, as he lay at death's door, energon dripping into the glass of eternal sleep._

_Knock Out looked up, frowning._

" _There's one last thing I'd like to do," he stated, catching the spark and holding it in his claw._

_The medic turned to Soundwave. Spinning his sword around, he smashed the hilt into the black and violet mech's screen, shattering it into a million pieces._

_Two sleepy, violet optics stared up at him. Soundwave's mouth was hanging slightly open as he struggled to breathe._

_Perfect._

_Knock Out laughed wickedly, shoving Laserbeak's spark into Soundwave's mouth, holding it closed until the latter was forced to swallow._

_The Third in Command retched, and managed to cough up his pet's life source._

" _Why, my dear Soundwave, we want you to swallow that, don't we?" purred Knock Out, picking up the small, glowing metal ball. "Can you hold it down? Can you do that for me, Soundwave?"_

_The medic didn't wait for an answer before he shoved Laserbeak's spark down Soundwave's throat again._

_Soundwave cried out in sorrow, clasping his digits over his throat. Tears flowed from his optics as the full realisation of what he had just done hit him._

" _No," choked Soundwave, his shoulder plates sagging._

" _Yes," replied Knock Out, smirking down at him. "Now…"_

_Knock Out laughed as he sank his fangs into Soundwave's throat, sucking his body dry of energon. Then, catching the azure spark that glided out of his spark chamber, the medic marched over to Breakdown._

" _Your turn?" he offered, cramming Soundwave's spark into the blue mech's mouth._

_Breakdown choked, but the spark slid down his throat anyways._

" _Knock Out…" he finally managed to say. "What the frag is wrong with you?"_

" _Nothing," the red mech innocently replied, slicing off Breakdown's entire leg in one swipe of his sabre and causing the other mech to scream._

" _Can we do this differently?" asked Breakdown, desperate. "We can-"_

" _Oh yeah!" Knock Out uncharacteristically burst out. "I know!"_

_Running to a set of drawers, Knock Out rummaged around until he encountered a blowtorch._

" _Perfect," he announced, and laughed as he melted Breakdown's body until his spark left its chamber._

_Knock Out cackled, removed the restraints and made a snack of Breakdown's energon._

_The replicated medic finished, stood up and walked swiftly out of the Command Room, leaving a horrified Knock Out behind as his senses rushed back to him._

_No… this couldn't be._

_He couldn't have done this. He would never, ever deliberately hurt Breakdown. He didn't deserve to live if he had._

_Knock Out sank to his knees, bursting into tears and letting out a scream of absolute terror._

* * *

" _Knock Out! Wake up!"_

_No…he couldn't just…_

_Knock Out felt himself fading, his surroundings all fading, until they disappeared into a bright light… and a familiar pair of pink and blue optics._

A quick check of his internal timepiece showed that it was 7:34. Only three minutes since he'd started resting. How could so much happen in three minutes?

"Can't recharge?" asked Arcee sympathetically.

Knock Out weakly nodded, panting as he caught his breath. Tears were still streaking down his facial plates. How could be have…

"It was only a dream," Arcee whispered, rubbing his side. "It's okay, you're fine now."

"Not me," he whimpered, wishing he could sink into a hole and vanish.

Arcee rested a servo on his shoulder plate.

"What happened?"

Knock Out squeezed his optics offline, wincing.

"I don't want to talk," he murmured.

"You sure?" asked Arcee. "You just woke up screaming. It must've hurt."

"Let me be," he groaned.

Arcee frowned, but moved away and started reading a data pad.

* * *

-The next morning-

Knock Out woke up with a moan, dully realising that he must have drifted off again. Onlining his optics, he looked around the room and registered Optimus Prime himself sitting beside his berth, gazing off into space.

"I wonder," the Prime muttered, before slumping back in his seat and stretching a bit. He turned his helm towards Knock Out, and was a little surprised to find him awake.

"Good morning, Knock Out," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

Knock Out was stuck. He hadn't really encountered Optimus much during his time at the base, due to the other mech being so busy.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Where's Arcee?"

"On a scouting mission with Bumblebee. Sorry to disappoint."

Optimus sighed and glanced out the window before turning back to Knock Out.

"Did you have a good rest?" he asked.

Seriously? Here was  _Optimus Prime,_ asking him how good a rest he…

Oh. _Breakdown._

"I just can't accept that he's…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Knock Out was crying again.

Optimus looked down at the newest addition to Team Prime, and wondered how Knock Out had survived so far through the war. Breakdown had taken good care of him.

"Prime? Optimus?"

Optimus was surprised, if not pleasantly so. Knock Out had just used his designation for the first time.

"Yes, Knock Out?"

The red mech stared up at him with pleading crimson optics.

"Please…end it for me. I just want to be with Breakdown."

Optimus rested a servo on Knock Out's shoulder plate.

"No, Knock Out."

Then, to make the refusal less harsh-sounding, he added, "I'm sorry."

"Please!" begged Knock Out. "I can't… Let me go!"

Optimus winced. He, and the rest of the Autobots, could only imagine what he was going through. No wonder why Arcee got along so well with him.

"Eventually, the pain will go away," the Prime told Knock Out.

Knock Out hiccupped slightly.

"You mean I'm supposed to just forget Breakdown?!" he gasped, completely aware of how clichéd it sounded.

Optimus shook his helm.

"You're not supposed to forget him. None of us will ever forget Breakdown."

Knock Out sobbed harder, sorrow clouding his facial plates.

"Remember, Breakdown would've wanted you to be happy. One day, the pain  _will_  go away, and you  _will_  be able to remember the happy memories."

"Optimus!" called Arcee, strolling into the medbay with an energon cube. "It was an empty mine. The 'Cons have drained it."

Then she caught sight of Knock Out, looking shameful and frightened.

"Arcee, take over," Optimus tiredly ordered.

Then he turned to Knock Out.

"Feel better soon," he told the ex-Decepticon. "Remember, emotions are not weaknesses. Don't hold back from seeking reassurance."

The Prime turned and walked out of the medbay.

Knock Out stopped him when he was in the doorway.

"But he died for me, didn't he?"

Optimus didn't have an answer, so he just turned and walked away.

Arcee sat down beside Knock Out.

"It's okay," she told him. "Optimus is a little stressed at the moment, with all the raids and other stuff."

"And me," choked Knock Out.

Arcee rubbed his back, waiting for him to calm down.

"It's not your fault."

_Emotions are not weaknesses. Don't hold back from seeking reassurance._

"You really think so?"

Arcee smiled slightly, nodding.

Seeing that Knock Out was finally quiet, Arcee offered him the energon cube. The red mech forced it down his throat, wondering why everything tasted bitter when one was grieving. He noted that he had tasted it before somewhere, but in his distressed state, nothing came to his processor.

Arcee took away the empty cube.

"Want to play a game?" she asked, although she didn't mind just sitting there. Anything in Knock Out's company was fine with her.

"No thanks," the red mech replied, shivering slightly. "Is it always this cold here?"

"I never really noticed," replied Arcee, and they returned to sitting around in silence.

"What the-" blurted Knock Out suddenly, jumping up and dashing to the medbay wash racks.

Arcee followed him, entering the room to find Knock Out doubled over the sink, a stream of blue energon pouring out his mouth.

Purging wasn't a fun experience. It hadn't happened to Arcee since she was a sparkling, but she knew it was very painful and could completely tire a bot out.

"You alright there?" she asked sympathetically.

Knock Out looked up at her the first chance he got.

"Do I look alright to you?" he gasped, before having to lean over the sink as his tanks heaved again.

Arcee couldn't help but lightly chuckle at his comment.

Knock Out choked on a bit of energon, spitting it distastefully into the sink.

"It's not funny if you're the one purging your tanks dry!" he cried, turning his helm to show tears stinging his weary, strained optics.

Arcee met his gaze and, as she did so, instantly regretted laughing at him at all. He had just lost a close friend.

He was in so much pain...

Much to Arcee's guilty relief, Knock Out had to lean over the sink again, sparing her the sight of his piteous optics. She winced as the grinding sound of his misery reached her audio receptors.

Arcee sighed and started rubbing his back, in the area between his wheels.

Knock Out groaned as more energon found its way up his throat and out his mouth. How could he have not noticed that the energon wasn't from the body of a Cybertronian?

Whatever had happened, he was now paying the price for it.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he moaned out loud.

Arcee just kept silently comforting him, afraid she'd upset him further with an incorrect choice of words.

Two minutes later, Knock Out was reduced to coughing and retching, due to the fact that his tank was pretty much empty.

"Feeling better?" asked Arcee, handing him a cloth to wipe his mouth with.

Knock Out accepted the cloth gratefully. "Yeah...I think I'm finished."

He stepped away from the sink, only to collapse and purge his tanks again.

Arcee patted his shoulder comfortingly, before moving away to fill the bathtub with warm water.

A minute later, she helped Knock Out into the water.

"Stay here," she told him, gathering some bath items.

Sponge. Towel. Cleaning liquid. Definitely not Smokescreen's rubber ducky.

_Smokescreen. Don't think about Smokescreen._

Arcee dumped all the objects onto a bench beside the bathtub.

Knock Out lay in the water, remembering that this was how Breakdown often made him feel better.

_Breakdown. Don't think about Breakdown._

_I can't._

_I can't forget Breakdown._

Knock Out offlined his optics as tears streaked down his cheek plates.

"Breakdown," he murmured, listening to the splash his grief made as it hit the surface of the water.

Then a bigger splash. Much bigger. Knock Out looked up and was surprised to see Arcee, with a kind and sympathetic look on her facial plates.

"I know what you're going through," she whispered, servos on his shoulder plates.

The cherry red mech coughed. Arcee didn't know what he was going through. Nobody did, not even himself. What it was like to lose somebody who was your protector. What it was like to lose someone you trusted. What it was like to lose your only friend.

But he knew he desperately needed the comfort, so he forced himself to believe Arcee and let her provide it.

The femme ran her digits over Knock Out's armour, dipping into the creases and gaps, cleaning out all the purged energon, along with any other dust that had collected in there throughout this entire ordeal. She could tell that he was enjoying it, although his facial plates still bore an expression of pain and sorrow.

"I miss Breakdown," Knock Out sobbed.

"Hush now," whispered Arcee, leaning forwards and capturing his lips in a kiss.

Knock Out was taken by surprise. Arcee…was she…no, she couldn't be! But he couldn't deny that he was enjoying her touch, and the kiss. The medic recovered from his shock just in time, kissing Arcee back. It was taking his mind off Breakdown too.

Then, suddenly, a voice rang out as light flooded the wash racks.

"Just what exactly are you two doing in here?"


	4. Threat

Knock Out gazed out the window, watching the stars twinkle around the knife shaped moon.

So far, his stay at the Autobot base had been rather uneventful. Since pledging his allegiance, he'd been released from the medbay, which still served as his quarters, but hadn't been allowed to leave the base.

Which meant that, most of the time, he was stuck with Ratchet, and occasionally Arcee.

Knock Out's optics swept over the moon again, and he sighed. He would have to find a way out of his bloodthirsty little problem.

"We have to get you somewhere safe, don't we?" came a voice behind him.

"R-Ratchet!" the red mech blurted out in surprise. Then, panic started creeping into his systems as he took in the fact that someone  _knew._  Ratchet  _knew._

"How did- What-"

Ratchet held Knock Out still and stared him in the optics.

"I won't tell," he said simply, and waited for the other medic to calm down.

"You- You won't?" Knock Out stammered, his processor faint from trying to absorb another outrageous fact.

"Yes, I won't. But before I help you, I need to know everything that happened."

Turning his helm to glance at the moon, he added, "Even about Smokescreen."

"How did you know about Smokescreen?" asked Knock Out, another surprise shocking him out of his shell.

Ratchet smiled grimly.

"Do you know what Smokescreen was actually doing on the Nemesis when he was captured?"

Knock Out shook his helm. "I didn't even know that he was on the ship. I was only alerted to the news when Megatron sent for me to fix him."

Ratchet nodded.

"It happens that I recently developed a new camera."

"A camera?"

"Yes, an invisible camera even Soundwave's technology cannot detect. It could've been the turning point of the war, to quote Prime himself."

Knock Out followed the other medic as he walked to a table and picked up a piece of equipment.

"This is the video player," Ratchet explained. "There's one for each camera."

Knock Out poked what appeared to be an 'on' button.

The video player exploded.

"Knock Out!" blurted Ratchet. "I needed that!"

Said mech quickly backed away from the table.

Ratchet shook his helm, cursing under his breath.

"Live feed from Corridor Two- gone."

"I'm sorry," apologised Knock Out, surprised that he'd felt the urge to apologise. It wasn't something he was used to.

"Corridor Two were the torture chambers," he added. "I don't think much planning goes on in the torture chambers."

Ratchet sighed, accepting Knock Out's reasoning. Why did it always have to be  _his_  things that got wrecked?

"Nevermind," he grunted, moving the shattered camera screen to a different table.

"On with your story."

But Knock Out found his curiosity raised.

"You still haven't told me what Smokescreen was doing on the Nemesis," he protested.

It turned out to be a bad idea, if the death glare he received from Ratchet was any proof.

"If you must know…"

* * *

_It was not every day that Ratchet sprinted out of the medbay, a ridiculous smile plastered to his facial plates._

_"I've got it!" he yelled, while everyone else at the base stared up at him with incredulous optics/eyes._

_"Doc bot's finally lost it," suggested Bulkhead._

_"No, listen!" the excited medic went on. "I've found a way to see what the Decepticons are up to!"_

_Everyone went silent._

_"I present to you… the Invisicam!"_

_"The what?" grunted Bulkhead._

_"Boop beep?" added Bumblebee._

_Ratchet held out his servo, revealing… nothing._

_"Doc bot's finally lost it," repeated Bulkhead._

_Ratchet sighed in exasperation, turned around and picked up a small box with a screen on it. He tossed it to Arcee, who caught it._

_"Press the little yellow button," he instructed._

_Arcee caught the button, and a picture of the ceiling appeared._

_"Let me see!" yelled Smokescreen, peering over her shoulder to be greeted with Ratchet's grinning face._

_"Gah!" he yelped, jumping back._

_"The camera can be placed anywhere and is virtually undetectable," continued Ratchet, waving the camera around and showing everyone the Autobot base from a few new angles._

_"This could be the turning point in the war," Optimus finally said._

_"So what are we waiting for?" exclaimed Smokescreen, looking up from the video player._

_"Let's plant these on the Nemesis and bash those 'Cons!"_

_Optimus looked around at the affirmative expressions of his team, and nodded._

_"Very well. Arcee-"_

_"Can I go?" called Smokescreen, waving his arm in the air._

_"No, you cannot, and you shouldn't interrupt a superior officer like that!" replied Arcee, turning to glare at him in the optics._

_"Arcee, calm down," Optimus commanded gently._

_"I personally think Smokescreen would be okay for the job," mused Bulkhead._

_"He's been trained by the Elite Guard, after all, and he's a quick thinker. He can get himself out of trouble."_

_"Whirr whirr beep," piped up Bumblebee._

_Optimus turned to Ratchet, who frowned and thought about it for a moment._

_"I reckon you could let the kid have a try," he finally said._

_Optimus turned to face Smokescreen._

_"Alright. Smokescreen, you leave for the Nemesis in an hour."_

* * *

_-Later-_

_Smokescreen crept along the corridor, glancing around for any sign of onlooking optics. Sensing none, he placed a camera on the roof of Corridor Two, and continued on his way._

_"So far, so good," he told Ratchet through his comm link._

_"Don't let your guard down," the medic replied. "Alright. Turn left, and add a camera in the vent above the Vehicon quarters."_

_"Done," answered Smokescreen, fixing the Invisicam in place._

_"Right. Next, walk down the corridor, and head to the brig."_

_"That sounds like what you tell me to do when I mess up, Ratch."_

_Smokescreen raced down the corridor to the brig. He took his last Invisicam out of subspace, and was about to put it in place when suddenly, an electric feeling raced through his circuits, and all his systems offlined, leaving just his spark pulsing._

_"Smokescreen?! Smokescreen, can you hear me? Respond, Smokescreen!"_

_Ratchet turned to Optimus, wearing a look of hopelessness._

* * *

"Enough information?" asked Ratchet, annoyed.

Knock Out shrugged. "One last question… How did you know that his death had something to do with me?"

Ratchet sighed.

"Do you think I would let an absent-minded rookie run around on board the Nemesis without a camera tracking his every move, for Primus's sake?! Now, your story, if you please."

Knock Out, satisfied, told Ratchet about everything that had happened to him. Somehow, he got the feeling he could trust the Autobot medic, and even briefly mentioned his few weeks of energon deprivation in the brig.

Maybe it didn't hurt as much because he'd suffered worse after.

_Breakdown._

Knock Out cleared his mind of his ex-assistant and continued on with his story.

Ratchet listened intently until he finished.

"Okay, Knock Out. Now I'm just going to have to figure out what to do with you."

"Ratchet… thanks."

Ratchet grunted and exited the room.

Knock Out settled down on his berth, wondering what was going to happen that night.

Little did he know that a certain yellow scout had been standing outside, listening to every word he and Ratchet had said. Bumblebee, shocked, left the area, upon deciding that he wouldn't tell anyone.

* * *

-7:00 pm-

"I like your paint job."

"Did you seriously just compliment me?"

"Well, of course, I like my own more, but-"

"Oh, Knock Out!"

Ratchet walked into the medbay to tune into a somewhat playful chat, and grabbed a scanner with a loud noise to get the two younger Autobots' attention.

"I'm going to scan Knock Out," he told them, activating the scanner and fiddling with a switch.

Reading over the results of the scan, he frowned, and told Arcee to leave the medbay.

Yelled at, to be more precise.

"Arcee, get out of here immediately!" he shouted, almost pushing her away from Knock Out's berth.

"What- Why!?" the femme spluttered, stumbling a few steps and stopping in the doorway, while Ratchet hurried back to Knock Out's side and began plugging various tubes into his frame.

The ex-Decepticon in question was looking frightened, as if he wasn't quite sure what was going on, but knew it wasn't good.

"Highly contagious virus," stated Ratchet, plugging one last wire in before almost slamming the door in Arcee's face.

"Tell me that was just for show," sighed Knock Out, dropping his fake expression and unplugging a few tubes.

"Yes, it was. Now come on."

Ratchet helped him to remove most of the energon lines from his body, before helping him up and leading him into a secluded room and locking the door.

"Why do I feel like I'm being somewhat… obtrusive?" the old medic finally said, tying Knock Out's peds up in place.

"Ratchet… please hurry…" groaned the half-binded mech, feeling his mind beginning to slip away.

"Hold on, Knock Out. Almost done."

Ratchet tweaked the last knot tight, before standing up, casting a long look at the vampire tied in a sitting position against the wall.

"Alright, Knock Out, I'm going to leave now."

Knock Out's red-turning-purple optics met his blue ones.

"Thank you," he whispered as Ratchet left through a narrow crack in the door and locked it from the outside.

* * *

-9:00 pm-

"Why are there thuds and clangs coming from that infirmary?" pondered Arcee, getting a little worried for Knock Out's safety.

"It's nothing," replied Ratchet, tapping away at his keyboard.

"It sounds painful," Bulkhead put in, earning himself a glare from Ratchet.

"The treatment is very painful, yes. But it works, and Knock Out should be better by tomorrow."

A particularly loud clang filled the air.

"I'm going in after him," announced Arcee, taking a step.

Ratchet turned to face her.

"Arcee, think about it this way. If we continue with the treatment, he'll be better by tomorrow morning, and you can talk to him all you want. But if you jump in right now and disturb the process, he'll only get worse. So, it's short-term suffering for long-term health. Understood?"

Arcee sighed and settled back down.

"Understood."

* * *

-Later that night-

The door to the infirmary creaked just slightly as Arcee pulled it open, creeping inside and looking around.

What she expected to find was Knock Out, unconscious on a medberth, with a million various tubes plugged into his frame, and monitors flashing.

What she found was Knock Out, perfectly awake, tied against the wall, struggling against his bonds.

"Ratchet!" the femme hissed, moving forwards towards the ex-Decepticon before her.

Arcee looked up at Knock Out's pale cheek plate, noticing that something was certainly off about him. For starters, his optics were violet, instead of his usual red. But Ratchet had mentioned something about 'treatment,' and there was obviously none of that going on right now.

Arcee, deeming it safe, untied the cherry mech, who immediately pounced on her.

"What the-!" she yelped, finding herself suddenly pressed against both the floor and the wall opposite the one Knock Out had been binded to.

Knock Out growled, his glowing violet optics intensifying as he brought forth his fangs and aimed for Arcee's neck.

"Knock Out!" the femme grunted, barely able to understand what was going on. Her battle programming told her to defend herself against the incoming threat, and so she did.

Knock Out gave a yelp as he suddenly found himself greeted with a punch in the face. The vampire hissed at Arcee, before slipping out of the infirmary door.

Arcee leapt to her peds and followed him, transforming her servos into her cannons and running after the energon-crazed mech. Firing continuously at him, she managed to clip his shoulder. The shots only glanced off his armour, and most of them missed altogether.

"Scrap!" cursed Arcee, as her prey turned a corner and briefly disappeared from her view. How on earth was Knock Out so fast? Before this, the only time she'd known the ex-Decepticon medic to be fast was in racing, and he was in vehicle mode at the time.

Vehicle mode. How had she forgotten?

Arcee transformed and zoomed after the fleeing vampire, eventually catching up.

"Knock Out!" she growled, transforming back and powering her cannons up to full charge. Arcee shot Knock Out directly in the back, sending him crashing down against a nearby wall. He skidded to a halt, the light of the moon over the horizon casting light over the corridor.

The vampire jumped up, energon bleeding from a few minor scrapes on his frame. With a low hiss, he charged towards Arcee, who dodged just in time to send him crashing into the wall again.

Knock Out turned and let out a terrifying sound that resembled a roar, and turned to pin Arcee to the wall, ready to sink his fangs into her throat.

Arcee, trapped between Knock Out and the wall, found just enough room to raise her gun, and blast Knock Out's arm.

The vampire crashed to the ground just as the moon disappeared over the horizon line.

"What-" he spluttered, his violet optics turning to crimson as he propped himself up on his elbows to be greeted with the point of Arcee's cannon.

"For Smokescreen," she hissed.


End file.
